Gas-trap.



` c, C. SCHARPENBERG.

GAS-'TMR lfrPLlcAnpN mfp AUG.2. 191s;

CHARLES c. SCHARPENBERG, orl BAKERSFIELD, 'CALIFORNIA GAS-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent. i "Patented luay 22, 1917.

. Application filed August 2, 1916. A Serial No. 112,673.

To all whom 'it may concern: I

I Be it known that I, CHARLES C. Soliani- ENBERG, a citizen of'the United States, re siding at Bakersfield, in the county of .Kern and State of Californizn' have invented a new and' useful Gas-Trap, of which the following is aspecification.

It is the object of my invention to produce a gas trap which will separate oil and gas from pumping and owing wells, especially when these wells will flow against but little back pressure, so that such gas may be compressed and put into a pipe line and the oil supplied to suitable tanks; which will maintain a substantially constant low pressure on the gas in the trap so as `to prevent the removal of the lighter liquid hydrocarbons from the crude oil; which will provide a storage space ofvariable capacity the variation in which does not affect the constancy of the pressure maintained; and which will have relief devices which operate when the storageV space in its variations reaches a maximum ora minimum, so that the constancy of the pressure is still maintained. 'y

- The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention The single figure of such drawing is a vertical central section through a gas trap embodying myinvention.

A fixed tank 10 having a closed bottom is provided with inner side walls 11 and outer y side walls 12 which form between them an annular space containing a suitable liquid, such as water 13, into which projects down- Ward the sidewall of an inverted floating tank 14, the two tanks 10 and 11 together forming a container Aof a capacity depending on the height of the floating tank 14. The Xed tank l0 is suitably supported on a framework 15, and the oat tank 14 is guided in the usual manner of gasometers by rollers 16 carried by uprights 17 on a suitable surrounding framework.

i n inlet pipe 2O from the well projects upward through the bottom of the tank 10 to a slightly higher level than the no-pjres sure oil level 21 m such tank, and is prov vided at its top with an umbrella 22 suit- .507 i' from the well from splashing through the ably carried by rods 23 to prevent the oil storage space and to throw such Ioil downward in the tank 10. A gas outlet pipe 24 also projects up through the bottom of the tank 10, preferably to a greater height than does the pipe 20, and is provided at the top with an umbrella'25 carried bythe upper end of such pipe 24 and stayedby guy wires 26. Ihe umbrella 25 is to make further provislon against the gas outlet pipe 24. The'pipe 24 below the tank10- leads to the compressor which pumps'the gas into the gas main. A third pipe 27 leads. through the bottom of the tank 10, and opens into such tank close to the bottom thereof, for the outlet of oil from such tank. The pipe 27 is turned up; ward along the outside of the tank 10, and at the no-pressure oil level 21 is provided with a T 28 through which it is connected the splashing of roil into to a pipe .29 whichleads to the oil tanks and to an upwardly extending pipe 3()` between the level 32 and the T 28 (or nopressure level 21) balances the gas pressure produced on the gas above the oil by the loading 31. n'order to maintain the gas pressure constant, the top of the 'oating tank 14 is provided with a safety valve 83 which is opened by the engagement of its valve stem 84 with a fixed stop 35 when the tank 14 r'eaches its uppermost limit of movement, said valve being `pressed to closed position by a suitable spring 36 and the framework 17 being provided with suitable bumpers 37 for limiting the upward movement of the floating tank 14; and is also provided with a plate 38 directly over the upper end of the pipe 24, which plate 38.

engages the upper end of the pipe 24 and shuts oil' the gas outletthrough such pipe when the floating tank 14 reaches its lowermost limit of movement, the top of the pipe 24 and the bottom of the plate 38 being suitably finished to produce a. substantially tight joint.

In operation, the crudo oil and gas from the well Hows or is pumped through the pipe 2O into thespace within the tanks 10 and 14, and is prevented from splashing by the umbrella 22. This iiow is against the gas pressure produced by the loading 3l, which is sufficiently slight so that the flow is not interfered with. gas which enter through the pipe 20 separate on leaving such pipe, the oil falling to the bottom of the tank l() and the gas filling the space above such oil to the closed top of the -lloating tank 14. The oil level in the tank is, maintained constantly at the level 32, flowing out thrgugh the pipes 27 and '25) of the oil tank upon any slight rise in such level. Any'` fall in the level 32 is prevented by the atmospheric connection 30, so that all siphon action is avoided. The gas above the oil in the tanks l0 and 1l is pumped out through the pipe 2l bythe gas compressor into the gas main; This gas is under a constant pressure in tlie'tanks l0 and ll by reason ot' the loading 3l, which pressur(l acts on the surface of the oil to maintain the oil vlevel 32. The float-ing tank 14 rises and falls according` as the supply of crude oilv and gas through the pipe is greater or lessthan the outflow of' oil and gas through the pipes 2T and 2l. If the supply exceedsl the outflow too' greatly, and the floating tank 14 reaches its upper limit of movement, such tank strikes the bumpers 37 and is prevented from moving farther upward and the valve is opened to permit the escape of' excessv gas-into the atmosphere. It the outflow exceeds the supply too greatly, and

the floating tank 14 reaches its lower limit of movement, the plate 3S closes the upper end of the pipe 24 and shuts off the outflow of gas until more has been supplied. The pipes 27 and 28 are preferably sufficiently la rge so that the oil level 82 is not materially afl'ected by a variation in the rate of 'sup ply through the pipe 20. By reason of the constant pressure on the gas and oil within the tanks 10 and 14:. the compressor is prevented from developing' any partial vacuum within such tanks, and the loss of the lighter hyd'ro-carbons, such as gasolene, from the oil by reason of their being` carried off with the gas, and the drawing in of air by reason of any such partial vacuum, are prevented,

I claim as my inventionr l. A gas trap, comprising a fixed tank open at the top and provided with double walls forming between them a space containing a liquid seal, an inverted floating tank the walls of which dip into such liquid seal, a supply pipe leading into said lower tank to supply gas and oil thereto, and two outlet pipes respectively for gas and oil leading from the space inclosed by the two tanks and opening thereinto respectively above and below the oil level therein, said oil outlet pipe extending upward outside the tank to4 a no-pressure oil level and there being provided with an atmospheric connection, and said floating tank being weighted to produce the desired gas pressure in the space inclosed by the two tanks.

The oil andV l tank 2. A gas trap, comprising a fixed tank open at the top and providedwitlr double walls forming between them a space con-v taining a liquid seal, an inverted floating tank the walls of which dip into such liquid seal,

to supply gas and oil thereto, and two outlet pipes respectively for gas and o il leading from the space inclosed by the two tanks and opening` thereinto respectively above and below the oil level therein, said oil outlet pipe extending upward outside the tank to a lio-pressure oil level and there being provided with an atmospheric con nec'tion, and said floating tank being weighted to produce the desired gas pressure in the space inclosed by the two tanks, said supply pipe and said two outlet pipes being fixed in the fixed t'ank.-

3. A gas trap, comprising a fixed tank open at the top and provided with double walls formingibetween them a space containing a liquid seal, an inverted floating' tank the walls of vwhich dip into such liquid seal, a supply pipe leading into said lower tank to supply gas and oil thereto, and two outlet pipes respectively for gas and koil leading from the space inclosed by the two tanks and opening thereinto respectively above and below the oil-level therein, said oil outlet pipe extending upward outside the tank to a no pressure oil level and there being provided with an atmospheric connection, and said floating tank being weighted to produce the desired gas pressure in the space inclosed by the two tanks, said gas outlet pipo being fixed in such fixed tank and projecting'upward therein, and said floating tank being provided with a closing plate which closes the upper end of said gas outlet pipe when the float tank reaches its lower limit 'of movement. A

4. A gas trap, comprising' a fixed tank open at the top and provided with double walls forming between them a space Containing a liquid seal, an inverted floating tank. the walls of which dipinto such liquid seal, a supply pipe leading into said lower tank to supply gas and oil thereto, and two outlet pipes respectively for and oil leading from the space inclosed by the two tanks andI opening thereinto respectively above and below the oil level therein, said oil outlet pipe extending upward outside the tank toa lio-pressure oil level and there bea supply pipe leading into said lower ing provided with an atmospheric connecthe walls of which dip into such liquidiseal,

a supply pipe leading into said lower tank to supply gas and oil thereto, two outlet'pipes respectively for gas and oil leading from the spaceinclosed by the two tanks and opening thereinto respectively. above and below the' oil level therein, said oil outlet pipe extend ing upward outside the tank to a 11o-pressure oil level and there being provided with an atmospheric connection, and said floating tankl being weighted to produce the desired gasl vpressure in the space inclosedby 'the two tanks, and means operated by the movement of theloating tank for closing thegas outlet pipe upon the movement of` said floating tank'tits lower limit of movement.

6. A-.gas.trap, comprising a fixed tank open at the. top andprovided with double walls `forming 4between them la space containing` a1 liquid seal, aninverted floatingV tank thewalls of which .dip into'such liquid seal, a supply pipe leading into said lower tank to supply gas and oil thereto, two out` let pipes respectively for gas and oil leading from the Vspace inclosed by the two tanks and opening thereintogrespectively above and below the oil level therein, said'oiloutlet pipe extending upwardoutside the tank to a no# pressure oil level andpthere being provided with an'atmospherie connection, and said floating tank being weighted to pro/duce the desired gas pressure. in the space `inclosed by lthe two tanks, and means for closing the gas outlet pipe upon the movement of the iioating tan-k to its lower limit of movement and `for permitting theescape of gas from the space within the .two tanks when the floating tank reaches its upper limit of movement.

In witnesswhereof, I have hereunto set my` hand at Taft, Cal., this. 25th `day of July, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and sixteen.

lCHARLESe.soHARPinmune. 

